A few years ago, when the Latic's were on their way up to the Premiership, one of their supporters who along with other idiots was jailed for assault on some Blackpool supporters in the infamous Foxall pub incident, ran a fanzine based on a public house. The rooms of the pub like the lounge, vault etc contained good news about the Latics but the section called the toilets contained all kinds of nastiness about our club, players, supporters etc.

Some of their supporters are not very nice people as proved by the many incidents of trouble both at home and away games with two brothers from Gidlow banned from every ground in the country.

One of the many reasons why many of our supporters have no time or respect for the Latic's or supporters.

Our fans have never been banned or involved in fighting have they.

I'm not a big Latics fan but as a football fan the attitude from rugby fans that supporters in our game are angels and football fans are scum wears thin. Especially when every incident is instantly blamed on football fans

Your constant need to redress the balance is laudable. But everyone knows there are yobs following every club. Long before Latics were even a thing, i was present at Central Park when there were huge fights between Wigan and Saints fans, Wigan and Wire fans, even Wigan and Workington fans.

However, none of this means that Wigan fans who've had bad experiences with Latics fans shouldn't mention it in this very relevant context, and no amount of whataboutery makes those testimonies invalid.

He wasnt mentioning his experinces with latics fans though was he? He was talking about hooligans which as you say we had plenty of.

I have a few mates that are latics fans. None of whom are scum or hooligans. They dislike wigan rugby but know the history of why (this differs to that that wigan rugby fans would tell you so it really is a case of two sides to a story and what you choose to believe) but they do accept that some fans dislike wigan rugby just because it's 'fashionable'. A bit like a 10 year old Leigh fan hating Wigan even though they've played us twice in that time and should probably focus more on Widnes.

Anyway....it's crap to see what they going through and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Even saints or wire. If they survive or not is no real concern to me as im not a fan, but i do feel for the actual fans whether they like us or not

That's very big-hearted of you, but there's no rule to say that others must feel the same way.

isnt it D-Day today?

I thought it was yesterday?

https://wiganathletic.com/news/2020/sep ... eNdz-B1eZI Latest

https://wiganathletic.com/news/2020/sep ... eNdz-B1eZI Latest

Never said there was.

What are your reasons for wanting them to go bust? Because a few idiots shouted stuff at you or told a joke?

truth be told we need the Latics

And they us, despite their refusal to admit it.

Exactly.

Yes, some of their fans are idiots (so are ours) but it is more beneficial to us for latics to survive.

If I did want them to go bust, my reasons would be no more relevant or irrelevant than the reasons your Latics-supporting mates tell you they dislike the Warriors. Each to their own.

What I will say is that, as a non-Latics supporter, I'm indifferent to their fate ... except that we need someone to share the stadium with to make it cost-effective. And to minimise disruption, it would be easier for us if it was them.

Do you work in politics?

To be fair, you only gave me two answers to choose from, both designed to show me as something I'm not.

If you'd added 'or neither of the above', I'd be taking you more seriously.

Just don't see why you are so against saying why you dislike them. It is of course your choice to do that but it's hardly like your political vote, mothers maiden name or bank details is it.

Not quite sure why you feel the need to try and pin me down on this, or what you stand to gain from it, but for the sake of bringing this to a close, I've already told you that I wouldn't care if Latics disappeared tomorrow if it wasn't for the fact that we need them.

Does that mean I dislike them?

Maybe to you, who seems inordinately concerned how people feel about Latics considering you're supposedly not one of their fans.

To me, it means what it says. I see them as a useful presence at the stadium. For that reason and that reason alone, I actively don't want them to go bust.

\Why do I feel this way?

Because I'm a rugby league fan first and foremost. To me, football comes somewhere after Tiddlywinks.

Anyone got the impression that Egg Chasing is also a supporter of the Latic's!

If so, he perhaps can explain the massive police presence at many of the Latic's game compared with the odd police officer or so at the majority of Rugby League games.

Oh, and I was only mentioning the appalling incident at Blackpool which occur during the dark days of Football hooliganism when some Latic's supporters were involved on a regular basis and also only mentioned a former Latic's fanzine to illustrate the nastiness of some Latic's supporters involved at the time.

And I also can remember the days when it was a pleasure to go to Springfield Park and watch the Latic's playing in the Northern Premier League with no hooliganism and massive police presence in attendance like many of the Latic's games today.

yes he is as he said so, youll find the police presence is sorted by the police and is law unlike rugby, you not remember the dark days of rugby with the battles with Leigh and Wire? Im no defender or fan of the Latics but lets be realistic

I'm not a latics fan but i dont mean them any harm. My mates are latics fans and ive been the odd game. No different to some rugby games in terms of trouble.

The way rugby fans treat every football fan as a hooligan and turn every rugby issue into "football did it" just annoys me as a football fan

Yes it is
Comparing a larger percentage of trouble at football games to a smaller percentage of trouble at a rugby game, especially considering the amount of police in attendance comparatively etx. Is like comparing apples with deck chairs.
Football isnt as bad as it used to be, and to be honest neither is rugby in a lot of ways (someone cant fart now without fans of the opposition videoing it and sticking it all over social media and complaining about someone and blowing it out of all proportion)
But
The trouble is still there in it's own ways in both, and it's still far greater in football

I know 2 coppers who told me " Dont be fooled Ken, the trouble is still there, we just have it under control",

Dont know why they called me Ken, but I trust these 2 with my life!

What you keep accusing Cruncher of is him having much the same opinion as you, though.

You "Don't wish them any harm", whilst not being a fan.

Cruncher (and myself) don't actively wish them harm (bankruptcy), but wouldn't give 2 hoots if it happens.

That is not "wishing harm" and doesn't require an active reason - Apathy is the complete lack of caring about something, which by its very definition means that there can be no reason - You have to care to have a reason.

The 'history of why' - What, a throwaway line in an interview with Maurice LIndsey 35 years ago? That it? Given they have no natural footballing rival Latics fans have had to fashion an identity for their support which involves hating Wigan RL. Some try way too hard to impress and convince their fellow fans that they are big Latics men by going overboard on the Wigan RL thing. I don't think there's much more to it than that to be honest. No other set of football fans takes them seriously enough to get involved and we have the rivalry with Saints, which is a natural sporting rivalry. One that makes sense.
Hope Lenegan stiffs em'